I don't understand what you guys are talking about re. ride comfort! My wife drives an '04 Civic and it's *much* more butt-friendly on long trips than my 240D, the seats on which are virtually indistinguishable from the ones on my dad's old '65 fintail.

As for the minivan idea ... well, yeah, like dieseldan44 said, if you need to bring band gear sure, but the best of them get 23 mpg and that civic will do 35. Plus, call any bookie in Vegas and see what odds he gives you for having a trouble-free trip in an old minivan vs. an '05 Civic. They may be boring, but they do work.

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Finn John -- Albany, Ore.
www.offbeatoregon.com
76 Merc 300D, sky-blue, *86k, for driving
84 Jaguar XJ6, black, 245k, for restoring someday
71 Merc 408, 2.3 petrol 4, Avon caravan conversion (UK), RHD